Finland is not on its way to becoming an open-air museum

An opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat counters the Finnish Local Government Association's (Kuntaliitto) recent call to dismantle building protection decisions. Kuntaliitto suggested that promoting building protection would turn Finland into an "open-air museum."

The author, architect Sameli Sivonen, argues this depiction is inaccurate, noting that only approximately 35,000 out of Finland's 1.6 million buildings are protected, representing about 2% of the building stock. Sivonen emphasizes that protection decisions are not arbitrary but are based on the Building Heritage Act, requiring buildings to have historical, architectural, or technical significance, or possess special environmental values.

Beyond cultural preservation, the article highlights the ecological advantages of protecting existing structures. It points out that new construction consumes significant materials, leading to emissions and environmental damage. By repairing and extending the use of already built structures, the need for new construction can be reduced, contributing to sustainability.

Sivonen acknowledges a real issue: finding new uses for disused public buildings like schools and kindergartens can be challenging. However, he asserts that the solution is not widespread demolition but rather developing innovative models to secure funding for new uses and transformations. He finds it peculiar that Kuntaliitto, which represents municipalities, criticizes protection decisions that these same municipalities have often made through zoning, suggesting it would be more responsible for Kuntaliitto to support municipalities in utilizing building heritage instead of opposing its protection.